Teams for the Movement
One
The Catholic Church, founded on 12 weak and flawed Jewish men, over the course of three hundred years grew to encompass the Wetern world from The rivers of India to the British Isles. How’d this happen?
In Act 2:42, we are given the founding principles for how the faith was lived out in the early community: “And the disciples devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching, to prayer, to the breaking of the bread (Eucharist and Sacraments) and fellowship.” (Acts 2:42.) The first Christians did not build churches. Instead, they gathered in each other’s homes for their Eucharistic meals, praying and living together, learning the teaching of the 12, and invited others to join them. As the community grew, and Christians were forcibly removed from Synagogues, it became necessary to build churches. But Christians have always held that the distinction between home and Church is a small one: Both must be places of prayer. Both must be places of true community. Both must be places where we encounter Christ.
Two
The early Christians devoted themselves to growing in virtue by living close to each other, and by taking on this mission of spreading the faith. They took this mission personally. There was no 10 year plan to Christianize Rome, no 10 step program to evangelize the world. As G.K. Chesterton remarks, their religion was less of a theory and more of a love affair. Christ encompassed their life and so they invited Christ and his community into their home. In so doing, they were able to ‘hide in plain sight.’ It would be another 300 years before the Catholic Christian faith would be allowed to be practiced publicly. But their love for Christ and each other enabled the Church to flourish despite Roman persecution. But how do we today live boldly as Christians in a world that hates Religion? The beginning and end of the answer lies in the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of John: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
Three
When we create a community, whether it is a family, team, club or friend group, any and every person can be the hammer and chisel God uses to help us grow in virtue. This past year most of us spent a lot of time at home, and some still do. This offers the greatest opportunity to grow in virtue. If we’re not growing in virtue, then perhaps we are too used to relaxed behaviors at home. We should allow our homes to be places of rest, but we must be diligent to also see our homes as the workshops where we are purified into masterpieces of virtue and mission.
St. John of the Cross offers this advice to novices in the monastery, but it is fitting for our teams as well: “Understand that you have joined this community so that all may fashion you and try you. Thus, to free yourself from the imperfections and disturbances … and to draw profit from every occurrence, you should think that all in the community are artisans - as indeed they are - present there in order to prove you; that some will fashion you with words, others by deeds, and others with thoughts against you” (The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross.)
Four
You may be thinking, ‘but I pray with you everyday or regularly. Why do I need to take this extra step of forming a team. I like things the way they are?’ In the approved apparition of San Nicolas, Argentina, Our Lady told Gladys de Motta, “You are seeing the world half-destroyed. These rays of light are sent from my heart, which wants to save as many hearts as it can. My heart is powerful, but it can’t save hearts that are unwilling.” She then instructed Gladys to invite her friends and followers to create teams to pray the rosary and offer sacrifices for poor sinners, who otherwise would be lost. Have things changed? Has the world improved? No, it’s gotten much worse. We must listen and do the same.
Five
St. Paul tells us, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6: 11-13.) We are called to be soldiers, to fight and rescue souls, not just be complacent or inactive. Onward Christian solder was an Anglican hymn from the 19th Century, and the second verse goes like this, “At the sign of triumph Satan's host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!” Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart is the sign of this Triumph, as our Lord has prepared her to be our holy Ark of the New Covenant. (cf. Rev 12.) So, let us shelter under Jesus’ cloak of peace and Mary’s mantle of victory, and cease worry and fear, but keep on at the task of transforming society through our family and meeting with friends and save souls!